echlfandomcom-20200215-history
Trenton Devils
The Trenton Devils are an ECHL team in Trenton, New Jersey. They are owned by and affiliated with the NHL's New Jersey Devils and affiliated with the AHL's Lowell Devils. They play their home games at the Sovereign Bank Arena, which holds 8,500 people. Official Trenton Devils Website: http://www.trentondevils.com/ The team was previously affiliated with the Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL and Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL from its inception to the 2006–07 season. For 2005–06, the team signed a one-year temporary affiliation with the New York Islanders and the Bridgeport Sound Tigers, as the Islanders' ECHL affiliate in Biloxi, Mississippi, was forced to suspend operations because of Hurricane Katrina. They played their first season in 1999 as the Trenton Titans and were founded in 1996 when the ECHL decided to give Trenton, New Jersey an expansion team. In 2004 the Trenton Titans celebrated their 5th anniversary. *In 2001 the Titans reached the Kelly Cup Finals, but lost to the South Carolina Stingrays 4–1. *In 2005 the Trenton Titans won the Kelly Cup by defeating the Florida Everblades 4–2. In 2005 both clubs in the Flyers system won their respective championships. On May 18, 2007, the team announced they were changing their name to the Trenton Devils following the sale of the team to the NHL Devils, and affilation went to the Devils system. 2004–2005 Kelly Cup Champions In 2004–2005 season the Trenton Titans won the 2005 Kelly Cup by defeating the Florida Everblades 4 games to 2. Trenton won the first 2 games at Florida, Florida won the next 2 games at Trenton, Trenton won the last 2 games at Trenton then Florida. Leon Hayward won MVP of the Kelly Cup Finals. Rick Kowalsky led the Titans as captain. *The Trenton Titans beat the Alaska Aces in the National Conference finals, 4–3 in a seven-game series. *The Trenton Titans beat the Reading Royals in the Northern Division finals, 3–1, in a five game series. *The Trenton Titans beat the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies in the Northern Division quarterfinals, 3–0, in a five game series. The team's head and assistant coach left the team after the championship run, as other teams began to find the talent in Trenton. Assistant coach Ted Dent, who had joined the team following four years with the Washington Capitals in the video operations department before being laid off in expectation of the lockout, was signed by Columbia (SC), and head coach Mike Havilland, who had rejoined the team in 2004 after two years in Atlantic City, where he had won a Kelly Cup in 2003, was signed by the AHL's Norfolk Admirals. Doug McKay, who had coached Ritten Renon in the Italian 'A' league, was named the Trenton head coach for 2005–06, but was later fired because he wanted to trade away star player Scott Bertoli. Intrastate Rivalry Before moving to Stockton, California in 2005, the Atlantic City Boardwalk Bullies were the Trenton Titans' archrivals. They played for the Garden State Cup, which was awarded to the regular season series winner between New Jersey's two ECHL teams. The Garden State Cup was called the Grainger Cup for the 2001/2002 season when it was sponsored by Grainger, an industrial supply company with branches in both cities. The Bullies and Titans met 10 times during the 2001/2002 regular season with Trenton winning 6 of the games for the one and only Grainger Cup. The Titans and Bullies met 10 times during the 2002/2003 season, with Atlantic City winning 6 of the games for the Garden State Cup. The Titans and Bullies met 10 times in the 2003/2004 season with the Titans winning 6–4. The Titans and Bullies met 10 times in the 2004/2005 season with the Titans winning 5–3–2 against the Bullies 5–4–1, in the final Garden State Cup. The Titans and Bullies met for the last time in the first round of the 2005 ECHL Playoffs with the Titans sweeping the Bullies 3–0. Season-by-Season Record ''Note: GP = Games played, W = Wins, L = Losses, T = Ties, OTL = Overtime losses, SOL = Shootout losses, Pts = Points, GF = Goals for, GA = Goals against, PIM = Penalties in minutes'' Playoffs Captains Captain - Chris Dyment Alternate - Jim Henkel Alternate - Trevor Kell Retired Numbers 19 Scott Bertoli (Retired on Feb. 21, 2009) Media The Devils are covered by the two city newspapers, The Trenton Times and The Trentonian. Hunterdon County Democrat writer Mike Ashmore also keeps an active blog of the team. Local television station WZBN does regular reports on the team as well. The games were broadcast on radio during the first nine years of existence on WHWH, WBCB-AM, and WTSR, In 2008, the broadcasts switched to internet-only, and are handled by first-year play-by-play announcer Paul Roper, who was selected to broadcast the 2009 ECHL All-Star Game. Trenton Players in the NHL *Stephen Valiquette Goalie *Ruslan Fedotenko Right Wing *Todd Fedoruk Left Wing *Francis Belanger Left Wing *Jesse Boulerice Right Wing *Matt Henderson Left Wing *Cody Rudkowsky Goalie *Jerred Smithson Center *Pat Leahy Right Wing *David Printz Defenseman * *'Pierre-Luc Leblond Right Wing Matt Henderson's NHL debut came before his Titans* debut, but he later returned to become the first Titan* to appear in the NHL before and after Trenton. Note: '* Trenton Devils.